Cebes of Thebes was a philosopher who lived in Greece during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. He was a disciple of Socrates and is remembered primarily as a character in Plato’s dialogues, especially the Phaedo, which recounts Socrates’s final day. In that dialogue, Cebes is a serious interlocutor who raises important objections about the immortality of the soul, prompting Socrates to develop his arguments further. Ancient sources also report that Cebes studied with the Pythagorean philosopher Philolaus before joining Socrates’s circle.

One treatise, the Pinax or Tabula of Cebes (The Tablet), survives under his name. It is a moral allegory that describes life as a journey through paths of education, vice, and true philosophy toward happiness. However, the authorship of this work is disputed. According to modern scholars, its style and content suggest it was likely written centuries later, probably in the 1st or 2nd century CE. Therefore, it is generally considered a pseudepigraphical work from the Roman era rather than a genuine product of the Socratic period.

Cebes’s historical significance rests on his portrayal as a thoughtful Socratic follower in Plato’s writings. The work attributed to him, though probably not his own, remained a popular guide to ethics in antiquity and the Renaissance, illustrating later interpretations of Socratic and Pythagorean ideas.